Loss of strength, constant fatigue, apathy, unwillingness to do anything may indicate the presence of asthenic syndrome. On how to distinguish this condition from physiological fatigue, Ekaterina Demyanovskaya, Candidate of Medical Sciences, doctor-expert of the Gemotest laboratory, told Izvestia on Saturday, February 18.
She clarified that asthenia is accompanied by instability of mood, increased excitability, tearfulness, decreased concentration of attention and ability to self-control, capriciousness. Also, patients complain of sleep disturbances, headaches, dizziness, muscle weakness.
“Asthenia differs from ordinary physiological fatigue in that even after a good rest, a person cannot restore strength. The centers of the brain responsible for mood, motivation and performance go into “low consumption mode,” Demyanovskaya explained.
According to the doctor, asthenic disorders occur for various reasons. For example, in healthy people, as a result of depletion of the resources of the central nervous system, excessive physical and psycho-emotional stress, acute diseases, reactive asthenia may appear. This is a protective or compensatory reaction of the body. An important feature of reactive asthenia is its reversibility, that is, relief occurs after the elimination of provoking factors.
In addition, against the background of taking certain medications, as well as debilitating diseases and conditions, organic asthenia may develop. This is one of the manifestations of the underlying disease, for example, anemia, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, gastric ulcer, thyroid pathology and hypovitaminosis.
At the same time, the specialist warned against self-administration of nootropic drugs, since if the cause of asthenia is a metabolic disorder caused by diabetes mellitus, a lack of thyroid hormones or hypovitaminosis, then taking such drugs can lead to depletion of the energy resources of cells and aggravate the condition.
“In order for the treatment of asthenia to be as effective as possible, it is necessary to diagnose its true causes. To do this, it is important to examine the level of thyroid hormones, determine the content of glucose, glycated hemoglobin, insulin, vitamins of groups B and A, D, E, C, PP in the blood. Anemia is detected using a complete blood count, transferrin determination, serum iron-binding capacity and other indicators of the metabolism of this microelement. Only after correcting the detected deviations can a specialist recommend taking nootropic drugs, ”added Demyanovskaya.
Earlier in February, nutritionist Irina Mansurova told how to restore strength by spring with the help of proper nutrition. In particular, she advised adding buckwheat to the diet, which is a source of useful trace elements. Due to the composition rich in vitamins, this product will add energy and keep you feeling full for a long time.
